Abdominal pain

When abdominal pain occurs in children, underlying physical causes should first be excluded. Among these are common food intolerances (for example, fructose or lactose) or chronic inflammatory abdominal conditions. As a rule, this investigation is led by the family doctor or pediatrician or partly also by a doctor of stomach and abdominal illnesses (a gastroenterologist).

If all investigations undertaken prove to be negative, a diagnosis of “functional stomach pain” is commonly made. This means that the doctor assumes that the intestinal tract is in principle healthy – even though it is causing pain. The precise cause of functional complaints is still a subject of research today.

Functional complaints occur especially often at pre-school and elementary school age and are usually well treatable at this age. You can learn tips and tricks for dealing with these complaints in our outpatient clinic. The younger the child, the more important is the participation of parents in making the pain therapy a success.